Rest Easy
by Handwritten
Summary: Namine is perfectly content with Sora. He's willing to do anything for her...maybe that's the problem? A lunch with Roxas will start that ball of uncertainty rolling down the hill. Namixas. Initial N/S
1. Flirtatious

**Rest Easy**

_Heart beat in harmony  
You have been a light every day_

_

* * *

_

_Reminder: Check whose leg it is before playing footsie._

* * *

"So you talked to Roxas before this, right?" I mumbled, sliding into the booth. I tossed my handbag in the corner, glancing at my boyfriend, Sora, waiting for his reply.

"Yes, yes." He said, trying not to smile at my grim expression. "He promises to behave…somewhat… he doesn't really see the harm with teasing."

"He should." I bit back. "I swear, last time I was about to-"

"Shh, Namine, it's okay." Sora patted my hand from across the table. "It'll be fine. We'll just have lunch, then I'll go back to work, and you can recuperate wherever you want." His smile was kind, so I stayed silent; it seemed that no matter what we were doing, whenever I got together with Sora and his good childhood friend Roxas, I ended up leaving frazzled and annoyed.

"Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?" I questioned, thanking the waiter as he placed a glass of water in front of me.

"Why, I'd love to." A voice whispered hoarsely in my ear; I jumped, clapping my hand to the side of my neck where Roxas' hot breath had ghosted across. I whipped around with a stern glare, and came face-to-face with Roxas.

"Hello Roxas." I said cooly.

"Hey Sora!" Roxas said exuberantly, ignoring me completely as he slid in beside his friend.

_At least he didn't sit next to me. _I consoled myself. There wasn't anything else to do other than sip at my water as Sora and Roxas caught up. My eyes were drawn to the two boys. At a first glance, they could be related. But once you got a closer look, you would notice where Sora's face was full of curves and crinkling smiles, Roxas' was all angles and lopsided smirks.

Hiding my grin, I moved my left foot over slightly. I sought out Sora's own leg, and gently pressed against it. At that moment, Sora met my gaze, smiling before opening his menu.

With more pressure, my high-heeled foot trailed further up his ankle, pausing halfway up to rub as sensually as I could. Sora coughed and stumbled over his words as he ordered another beer. _Success!_ It was just _too _easy to ruffle his feathers.

My foot continued to play up against his for the rest of the meal. And Sora was coughing every time my foot made my intentions of what I wanted_ quite_ clear.

"You okay, Sora?" Roxas finally said, after Sora had been wheezing and patting his chest for a few seconds.

"Yeah." _Cough._ "But I think I'm gonna go to the washroom. Don't fight, you too." Sora moved out of the booth, and was out of sight in an instant.

I chewed on a fry, trying not to meet Roxas' persistent stare. When he wouldn't stop boring a hole into the side of my head, I rolled my eyes.

"_What?_" I finally bit, throwing my fork down.

"Easy, easy." Roxas chuckled, flashing his teeth. "I just wanted to thank you. For the lovely leg massage."

With a gasp, I realized my foot was _still _firmly pressed against the side of a leg. Which _so _did not belong to Sora. I jerked my foot away, and it clunked against the wall of bottom of my bench. I flushed red, taking a huge gulp of my water.

Roxas merely winked.

_

* * *

  
_

Such a playful and fun first chapter! **(the angst is coming, sadly.)** Lyrics from Natalie Walker's song 'Rest Easy'...one I've been listening to for a long time now! :) so soothing.

There are **6 more chapters to go** - ranging between the tiny word count of 100-and-something to 700 :O  
Please don't fret about the chapter lengths...this is just a little something to get my brain going so I can work on Lullaby. Nothing serious.

~And even though Sora and Namine are very cute together... this IS a Namine/Roxas story. Chapter 2 will be published on the 25th! (two days). _Reviews are much appreciated!_


	2. Unforgettable

**Rest Easy**

_Heart beat in harmony  
You have been a light in every way_

_

* * *

_

_Reminder: Throw your shovel away before you dig too deep._

* * *

"Did something happen at the restaurant?" Sora asked me as we lay in bed that night. I twisted my fingers, my tank top clinging to my sweaty back. Sora and I had finished dinner not too long ago, and a steady rain outside had pushed him to spend the night. Apparently Sora_ actually_ had a cold, which would have caused his constant coughing during lunch. And he left to the washroom to blow his nose.

_I have to stop assuming things about people. It's going to kill me. _I thought with a groan.

Oddly enough, I couldn't get Roxas' stupid, obnoxious smile out of my head. I blushed if I even _thought _about what had transpired between us. At least he had the decency to wait until Sora had left the table to inform me. Or I _hope _that's why he waited so long to tell me.

_But why he didn't just MOVE HIS LEG AWAY is beyond me._

Sora continued. "You seemed kinda out of sorts when we were leaving."

"Aren't I always like that when we have a visit with Roxas?" I said quietly. Sora's fingers were tracing up and down my arm.

"True." Sora nodded. "But Roxas wasn't too rough on you this time."

"…Yeah." I conceded. I turned towards my boyfriend, just as he leaned towards me to kiss me. As it slowly deepened, I pushed gently against his lean chest. "Not tonight, Sora." I gave a tired smile. "I'm sleepy." Sora instantly moved to his side of the bed.

I touched his cheek gently. "I'm sorry-"

He cut me off. "Don't be, Nam! You know I'm willing to give you whatever you want." With that, he quickly pecked me on the lips, and leaned back with a sleepy groan.

_He'll give me whatever I want… _I sighed, closing my eyes. Blond flashed before my eyes.

_Maybe that's the problem._

* * *

What a depressing second chapter. And, no, Namine doesn't "like" Roxas quiteee yet :)

Sorry for not adding this earlier - I forgot about my class camping trip :S but it won't happen again!

There are **5 more chapters to go** - ranging between the tiny word count of 100-and-something to 700 :O  
Please don't fret about the chapter lengths...this is just a little something to get my brain going so I can work on Lullaby. Nothing serious.

~And even though Sora and Namine are very cute together... this IS a Namine/Roxas story. Chapter 3 will be published in two days. _Reviews are much appreciated!_


	3. Comforting

**Rest Easy**

_You are my weak in the knees_

_

* * *

_

_Reminder: Always be faithful to others. And more importantly, to yourself._

* * *

The next morning, Sora woke up bright and early to head to work. I was awake when he kissed me on the forehead, but kept my eyes closed until I heard the apartment door shut softly.

_What's wrong with me…_ I thought as I stretched; recalling the events of the night before. Sora's words kept ringing through my head.

**_"You know I'm willing to give you whatever you want."_**

Maybe…maybe that's what I _didn't _want? Someone willing to do anything for me? It was a weird concept, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I felt very…_content_ with Sora. Like after you eat a filling meal. Eventually, you're going to get hungry again. And no one likes to eat the same thing _over and over._

_Enough with the food analogy. _Sora just never changed. He hadn't changed much since I had met him right after college.

With a shock, I realized I had never truly felt _desired_ in his presence. Well, not since we had first started dating, anyway. Just how guilty would I feel if I was unfaithful? (Not that I ever would cheat on him, but...) - did I still love Sora like I did back then?

I sunk down onto the kitchen floor, a hand over my mouth. I was a _terrible _person. How could anyone _moderately decent_ come to this conclusion after so long? I hated it when I saw other girls break a boy's heart merely because she was bored with him. But my situation was different. I didn't want to lead Sora on into thinking too much into the future...god forbid he started considering marriage.

But I _did _love Sora. How could I not? He had always been there for me. Like when I had caught a really bad stomach flu…_no…that couldn't be_…since Sora couldn't be around people puking without throwing up himself. Ugh; no, that was Roxas who had held my hair back as I leaned over the toilet. And even though I hated him, he had made me crack a smile through my sickness with his really lame jokes.

Yet it was Sora who held me all night long when my mom passed away, letting my tears stain his shirt through and through. But I may not have even_ let_ myself cry if it hadn't been for Roxas.

_"Namine...it'll be okay..." Sora was stroking my hair, looking worried as I shrunk against the wall. Even though his words pulled at my heart, not a tear left my eyes. My mom's death had been sudden -- there was no time for me to get out there and see her before it happened. I got the phone call three days before the long weekend. The long weekend which I had planned to fly down and visit her, which made it all the more painful. There was a large ball in my throat, and I had trouble breathing. _

**_Was this what grief felt like?_**

_Sora continued to whisper comforting words, but I felt sudden irritation at his flighty words. I pushed roughly at his shoulder._

_"I'm going to get you some water." Sora told me. His footsteps retreated. Roxas was leaning against the wall to my side; his knee just grazing my arm._

_"You know..." Roxas said quietly. "Even though everyone will tell you it'll be okay, that's just what you _don't_ want to hear, right? Because when someone you love dies...it just seems pretty bleak and cold. Maybe we don't always have to be comforted. Maybe it's okay to be unhappy." His fingers just barely touched the top of my head. "You can be sad, Namine."_

_As if he had unlocked me, the tears started flowing, and I felt a wonderful sense of relief.  
_

* * *

_Sora's been there when I needed him._

_Yet, in his own way, Roxas has as well._

…

Shit.

* * *

What a revealing third chapter. And to respond to a question in someone's review -- Roxas and Namine never dated each other before :) Sora is their only mutual friend at this point.

There are **4 more chapters to go** - ranging between the tiny word count of 100-and-something to 700 :O  
Please don't fret about the chapter lengths...this is just a little something to get my brain going so I can work on Lullaby. Nothing serious.

~Chapter 4 will be published on the 4th! (two days). _Reviews are much appreciated!_


	4. Fading

**Rest Easy**

_Run away  
I cannot breathe_

* * *

_Reminder: Just because it's a clean break doesn't mean you won't bleed._

* * *

"Sora. I'm sorry." Even as I tried to fight back the tears, they were already pouring down my cheeks by the time I got to "I'm". Sora seemed to understand immediately, as he didn't pull me into a hug. Instead, his hand rested on my shoulder, rubbing the blade with his thumb. But it was no longer a romantic gesture, in my eyes.

"I guess our time is up, huh?" He smiled weakly.

I nodded. "I-I care for you, really I do... but… I don't think…"

"Shh… It's alright. I understand." His breath halted slightly. "I…guess…I kind of saw this coming. At some point."

"Yeah." We were standing in the park. I had called Sora as soon as he got out of work, asking him to meet me here. The sun was low in the sky, and there weren't many people loitering at this time on the grassy hill.

"I'll still see you around, right?" Sora asked as I pulled away. I nodded. Of course I would. Even if I wasn't kissing him hello, Sora was a big part of my life. I hoped we were an ex-couple who could still stand in the same room without conversation dissolving into awkwardness.

After a few more minutes of lingering, we finally bid the other goodbye. Teardrops still clung to my eyelashes as I drove home. My hands shook as I fumbled with the lock on my door. My neighbour, who's room was to the left of mine, poked her head out of her door.

"Are you alright, dear?" She said. But I had already closed the door behind me.

I collapsed in the entryway; my shoulders shuddering. _I just got rid of the only stable thing in my life. _I had all these shaky feelings swirling around in my chest. I wanted to call Sora…tell him it was a mistake…

_Even though it wasn't._

* * *

What a saddening fourth chapter. And I know this was abrupt...but Namine is acting impulsive here. And she doesn't feel comfortable with it. And, yes, the chapters jump forward in time. This isn't the day after the previous chapter...just go with it!

There are **3 more chapters to go** - ranging between the tiny word count of 100-and-something to 700 :O  
Please don't fret about the chapter lengths...this is just a little something to get my brain going so I can work on Lullaby. Nothing serious.

Chapter 5 will be published on the 6th! (two days). _Reviews are much appreciated! _Put me on author alert?


	5. Dependable

**Rest Easy**

_I won't be afraid of this feeling_

* * *

_Reminder: You don't have to study for a test of friendship._

* * *

It was the knock on the door that woke me up. I lifted my sticky cheek off the floor where I had spent the night. My neck was sore, and my back ached as I sat up. When the intruding noise continued, I dragged myself to answer it, not bothering to look through the peephole. As the door swung open, my throat went dry. Roxas stood there, one hand hidden in his jean pockets, the other still extended in a fist where he had been in mid-knock.

"What do you want?" I sighed, holding a hand over my puffy eyes.

"I came to get Sora's laptop." When he saw my shoulders deflate further, he peered into my face. "You been crying?"

"I'm fine." I muttered, and turned away. Roxas followed me inside, closing the door behind him. His scent swept over me, and it was quiet as Roxas removed his shoes.

"Why'd you break up with him if you were gonna be sad about it?"

The question was blunt; not even quick and painless -- it beat against me like a dull knife. Shame washed over me once again, and my lip trembled. "I-I don't know."

"How can you not-"

"Sora and I had an expiration date, okay? We both knew it. He's _your _best friend -- did he forget to tell you?"

Roxas didn't answer right away. "Sora and I aren't as close as you seem to think." He exhaled. "Why _else_ would Sora bring you every time we get together? When it's just the two of us, we run out of things to say after five minutes."

"Can we just not talk about this?" I mumbled back. "If you and Sora aren't such great friends, I don't see how it's any of your business."

"Aren't we friends?"

I looked up at him when he said that. _Were we? _I suppose, in a way. When I still didn't reply, Roxas grinned. "C'mon, you. I can't stand that depressed look on your face. Wanna do something fun?"

"You're going to eat ice cream and watch movies with me?" I said dryly.

"Nah. That'll just make you more sad." He brushed past me, and I shook my head as he crossed the hallway into the dining room. One by one, he dragged my chairs into the living room.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he arranged them into a large rectangle.

"You'll see."

Somehow, he knew exactly where I kept my sheets and extra blankets. Soon there was a large _blanket fort _taking up half of my living room. Roxas dragged in a lamp from my bedroom, and a fan from the kitchen. I bit my lip when he started digging through a box of Christmas decorations.

"A fort? Really?" My sarcasm hid how impressed I was. I had never attempted a fort _quite_ this big.

"Shut up and come in." Roxas' voice floated up from inside, and I groaned before getting onto my hands and knees. I had just lifted one of the layers of sheets when his voice stopped me.

"Not there! The entrance is on the other side!"

"Oh for-" I grumbled, crawling hastily around to the other side. I saw Roxas' hand poking out, and followed it through. He had moved to the other side, so I had plenty of room as I gazed about the 'room'.

_Wow..._

With more artistic flair than I had him pegged for, Roxas had managed to use my multicoloured sheets to create a very…imaginative inside. It was all made up of different shades of blue, and there were several strings of Christmas lights hung throughout the entire thing, though they weren't lit up.

"Wait until I turn the lamp off." Roxas smiled in my direction, and I reached for a pillow. I plopped it down in the very centre, and lay back.

"Do it."

The next moment, Roxas' arm brushed against my side. I ignored the butterflies in my stomach. "The switch is over here."

It was dark for a few moments, and I heard some shuffling before another click. All the lights were illuminated, and I didn't try to bite back my smile. It really was beautiful.

"...You're so weird, Roxas."

"Yeah." The pillow shifted, and I turned my head. He too had his head on the pillow, and was looking up at the ceiling. I moved back to my original position; why was my heart beating out of control? This was ridiculous. I had ended it with Sora no more than a day ago.

_Well, ended it officially._

His voice tore me from my thoughts, and my eyes filled up with tears as he spoke softly; like a kite floating on a breeze.

"You'll be okay, Namine."

* * *

Since the previous chapter was so depressing, I threw in some happier stuff. And since this chapter is so long (eep!), the next one is gonna be supah short. Sorry.

There are **2 more chapters to go** - ranging between the tiny word count of 100-and-something to 700 :O  
Please don't fret about the chapter lengths...this is just a little something to get my brain going so I can work on Lullaby. Nothing serious.

Chapter 6 will be published on the 8th! (two days). _Reviews are much appreciated!_


	6. Gentlemanly

**Rest Easy**

_In your eyes, I can rest easy_

* * *

_Reminder: Lie to protect -- not destroy._

_

* * *

_

At some point, I fell asleep in that whimsical fort Roxas had created. I must have been exhausted, because I only awoke momentarily as he set me carefully in my bed. His hands were wonderfully gentle and soft against my skin. I kept my eyes firmly closed as he tucked the blanket around my shoulders. Through my eyelashes, I watched him as he put away the blankets and sheets from the living room.

I didn't say anything though, or give him any reason to notice I was awake. For some reason, I just wanted to watch him. I closed my eyes further as he finished. Once the last pillow was put away, he stood by my bed for a moment. His thumb trailed twice over my bottom lip.

And then he left.

For some reason, I was disappointed.

_What do you want him to do? __Kiss you__?!_

As ridiculous as the thought was, a telltale blush gathered on my cheeks.

_Agh…I _**_do_**_ want him to kiss me..._

I never hated myself more. What kind of girl had I become? Breaking up with my boyfriend, and then moving in on _his _best friend (well, not quite a best friend, apparently) the next day?

Tch. _I blame Roxas_. He's the one who came over here in the first place, and built his stupid, magical fort…

"You need to think up better lies, Roxas." I muttered to myself, a grin making its way onto my face.

_Sora has never owned a laptop in his life._

* * *

Roxas is WAYYY too "manly" for his own good. I know it's short, but I'm gonna make it up in the final chapter ;D

And if you're confused about that last line by Namine, just go quickly re-read the previous chapter!

There is **1 more chapter to go.**

How exciting!

~ Chapter 7 (the finale!) will be published on the 11th! (THREE days - no internet on the 10th!). _Reviews are much appreciated!_


	7. Loving

**Rest Easy**

_Lovely and imperfect,  
You looked into my soul and read its words_

* * *

_Reminder: Sometimes forgiving is the best way to forget._

_

* * *

_

It happened over three months later. Roxas and I had been getting together frequently… almost on the cusp of going on dates. But not going to the movies, or having dinner together -- no, we were into more 'practical' outings (his words - _I _know we're both just cheap).

We did things like feeding bread to the geese. And running away when the geese just _didn't _understand that we didn't have any more. Sometimes we would just buy some salted peanuts from a vendor, and go window shopping. Or reading together in the park; the sun warm on our backs.

In other words, I had fallen. Pretty hard. But I firmly squished my feelings under my thumb. There was no place for them in my life. As soon as I started to confront them, I would begin to question everything he did, and his reasons behind them. _And I hate that_. As long as I thought him only as a dear friend, I could just _be _with him. No fear.

Anyway - back to the point. Quite a while after the fort-incident (three months and seven days), Roxas took me to the park. I was surprised when he announced he was going to rent us a rowboat. It wasn't the warmest of days, and I let's just say that wasn't in the _best_ of moods by the time we made it to the middle of the lake. Roxas set down the oars, reaching his arms forward to stretch. He leaned back, and watched me as I tried to keep warm.

"Couldn't we have done this _after _the weather warmed up?" I rubbed my hands together, letting a shiver crawl through my body. "It's freezing!"

_Also, it's seriously unfair how cute you look in your scarf._

As usual, he ignored my complaints. "Namine, you and I have been out a lot together the past while, haven't we?"

_I sense another unwanted confrontation with my feelings. _"Yes…" I replied slowly.

"I'll just get straight to the point." _Like you've ever done anything else. _"Have you been missing Sora?"

I fumbled with my gloves. "Not really. I used to think about him a lot, but now..." Roxas nodded, and I bit my lip. "Why are you bringing him up now?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Well, for one, there's no way you can run away from me…though I suppose you could swim, but it looks awfully cold in there." He winked. "Can I ask you a hypothetical question?"

I glanced once at the water. It was dark and murky. "You have my attention." I sighed.

"Okay. So there's a guy -- let's call him **R**udy. And he has a really good friend…**S**am… whom he's known for a long time. And that friend is dating an amazingly talented and beautiful girl, **N**ora. Let's say that Rudy, after being introduced to Nora, couldn't get her out of his head. And came to the conclusion that he liked her -- in a more-than-platonic-way. If Sam and Nora split up, would it be okay for Rudy to pursue Nora? Would Nora be able to give Rudy the time of day? Or would she run screaming the minute he confessed? Would it make any difference if Rudy attempted to show Nora he felt this way before telling her? Should Rudy question every smile Nora gives him, wondering if she's still thinking of Sam?"

This was all said in rapid succession, and it took me several moments to respond.

"The names' Rudy and Nora don't go very well together." I finally said.

Roxas grinned at me, and leaned forward enticingly. He spoke slowly, and I suddenly felt breathless. "I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you, Nora."

My heart was beating against my chest. "You wanna prove it, Rudy?"

His lips were inches from mine. "You bet." He whispered before pulling me against him. His nose was cold, and his breath tickled my cheek; we were both smiling as the cool wind tossed our scarves and hair around our heads.

We broke apart a few moments later. "Roxas…what would you have done if I had said no? That I didn't love you?"

Roxas didn't have to think about it. "I'm pretty sure that wasn't one of the options. If you run, I'm just gonna chase you. I've thought about you way too much the past few years to give up now."

I didn't need to reply. I just took hold of the red material of his scarf, and pulled him closer.

* * *

_You are my weak in the knees  
Run away  
I cannot breathe_

_I won't be afraid of this feeling,  
In your eyes, I can rest easy_

_Rest easy..._

* * *

**All finished!** See? Not a very deep plot, I know, but it was fun to write :) a light read! Not much thinking involved! - and everyone understood the Rudy/Sam/Nora thing, right? :O

Thanks so much for reading. I'm really surprised by the phenomenal response I ended up getting from this side-story of mine. Gracias!

_From any reviews I receive for this chapter, I'm going to pick **one** that either makes me laugh, or is just positively brilliant - and I'll dedicate my next Namixas oneshot to you :D_


End file.
